


can't find a better man (there's no one else who needs to know)

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Brother Feels, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Headcanon, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, No Incest, Order 66, Past Character Death, Post-Order 66, based on wht we know, bt also none of this is Confirmed so, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24044836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: Echo removes the Bad Batch's control chips, and they wonder about their fifth.
Relationships: 99 & Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch & CT-21-0408 | Echo
Kudos: 113





	can't find a better man (there's no one else who needs to know)

Echo is relieved when, one by one, his teammates start to wake up.

"What the kark happened?" Wrecker moans as he starts to sit up. He falls back onto his elbow, grunting. "Feel like I've got the worst hangover ever."

"You four were talking about killing Jedi," Echo explains quietly. "Lie down. Don't overexert yourself."

"What'd you do?"

Echo sighs. "The Kaminoans implanted control chips in our brains while we were still gestating, before we were even decanted. They were supposed to just make us less aggressive than Jango, but there were special commands programmed in, too."

"Like killing Jedi," Tech says from across the room.

"Exactly." Echo almost laughs, bitter. "The Techno Union took mine out while I was their prisoner. So I guess we have them to thank for our free will."

Wrecker puts a hand on Echo's shoulder. "Rather thank you."

Echo shrugs. "It's nothing. Just figured you'd want to have a choice in the matter."

Crosshair props himself up with a slight groan. "Hurts like hell, though."

"We didn't have enough pain meds. I figured I should give them to Hunter, since he's more sensitive. He'll be out for a while."

Crosshair nods. "Yeah. Fair."

Wrecker frowns. "It was _weird_ ," he says. "I remember all of it. It was _me_. But I wouldn't . . . Now, anyway. I don't want to do that."

"I know." Echo sits in one of the chairs around the djarik table. "Apparently it happened to one of my brothers in the 501st. Tup. He just . . . Something inside him just _snapped_. He wasn't the type, but." He sighs. "I dunno, really. I wasn't there."

"Do-" Wrecker tries again to sit up, this time forcing himself through the throbbing pain in his head. "Cross, d'you think . . . Did 99 . . . ?"

Crosshair pales slightly. He stares pointedly at the floor.

Tech licks his lips. "I mean," he starts. "Logically. Yeah. He was one of us. We all had chips; why wouldn't he?"

"It's different," Crosshair spits.

"It's not. Not really. The only real reason he's not here now is because of his stroke when we were kids."

Wrecker tenses slightly as the old wound is struck.

"He wouldn't," Crosshair insists. His voice is level now, smooth as fresh duraplast armor, even though his hands are shaking with rage in his lap. "He gave the cleaning droids stupid names like Spudder and Dusty. He was in one real battle, _one_ , and didn't even use a weapon himself. He couldn't even kill the rats in the vents; he just let 'em loose outside. He _wouldn't_."

"We did," Wrecker murmurs.

Crosshair's shaking spreads to his shoulders.

 _At least we don't have to know_ , Echo thinks. _His chip was never activated._ He shakes his head and decides to keep it to himself; as well-intentioned as it would be, 99's chip wasn't activated because he'd _died_. There's no need to make things worse by bringing up his death. Not with the dead man's batchmates. He locks that particular pain inside.


End file.
